Self-closing bottle cap



Jian. l0, 31.956 F. P. SMITH SELF CLOSING BOTTLE CAP Filed June 4, 1953 Ficm.

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Arrow/fr United States Patent() SELF-CLOSING BOTTLE CAP Florence P. Smith, Chicago, Ill. Application Junev 4, 1953, Serial No. 359,478 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-484) This invention relates to improvements in bottle caps and has particular reference to a bottle cap that is equipped with a pouring spout and an automatic closure valve to protect the contents of the bottle from objectionable odors such as food odors when the bottle is placed in a storage cabinet or refrigerator.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pouring bottle cap that is quickly and easily attached and detached from water bottles or the like, provides an adequate seal upon the mouth of the bottle and embodies a novel form of floating disc valve to seal off the contents of the bottle against contamination or absorption of odors.

A further object of the invention resides in the simplicity of the cap that readily lends itself to economic manufacture from plastic materials, is easily assembled or disassembled and provides a disc valve that is so arranged that it cannot become lodged olf its seat and will always automatically drop to full seating closure when the bottle is placed in an upright position.

Novel features of construction and arrangement of parts will be more readily understood by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan View of the cap constructed in accordance with the inventionand shown in use,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is an enlarged central vertical sectional View, taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a horizontal section, taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 3 and,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of between the bottle.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a conventional bottle, having an externally threaded neck portion 6. The bottle here employed is of the type commonly employed as water bottles for use in a refrigerator and having relatively ilat sides, although it will be apparent that the invention is applicable to any type bottle having a suitably threaded neck.

The valved pouring device is indicated as a whole by the numeral 7 and embodying a head 8 of a desired configuration that is formed hollow to provide a valve chamber 9. The head is extended to one side as at 10 to form a pouring spout 11. The spout passage communicates with the valve chamber 9, as clearly shown. The spout 11 is preferably angled upward to prevent dripping when the bottle is placed in an upright position. The lower or bottom of the head is formed open and provided with a cylindrical shouldered neck 12, the internal annular wall of the neck being circumferentially grooved at 13, for a purpose to be presently described. The open bottom communicates with the chamber 9 for its full a coupling member pouring head and the threaded neck of a Z diameter. The head 8 is preferably formed of a re1atively hard molded plastic and in any desirable' color.

Detachably connected with the neck 12, is a coupling member 14, preferably formed of relatively pliable plastic. The coupling 14 comprises a tubular band of relatively pliable or deformable plastic, indicated at 15. At its upper end, the band is provided with a ilat and right angularly disposed inwardly extending flange 16. The inner circumferential edge of the flange 16 is extended upward to form a valve seat 17, having its upper edge relatively sharp for the seating engagement of a disc valve 18. The lower end of the band is provided with an outwardly extending right angularly disposed flange 19, the diameter of which is somewhat greater than the outside diameter of neck 12, so as to extend therebeyond at assembly for' gripping engagement of the hand of the operator in engaging the coupling with the neck 6 of the bottle. The inner wall of the band 15 is threaded at 20 for engagement with the threads of the bottle neck 6. The outer wall of the band 15 is provided with a circumferential bead 21 for snapping and seating engagement within the groove 13 of the shouldered neck 12 at assem bly. As clearly shown in Figure 3, the upper flat surface of the flange 16 has abutting engagement with the shoulder 12 of the neck 12, while the lower marginal edge of the neck 12 has abutting engagement with the upper surface of the flange 19, in which position the groove 13 and the bead 21 are properly aligned for seating engagement.

in the use of the device, the head portion 7, coupling member 14 are assembled by first inserting the'disc valve 18 into the chamber 9, then engaging the coupling with the neck 12 by shoving it inwardly in an axial manner until the bead 21 snaps into the groove 13. The coupling being of a relatively flexible nature, will permit distortion to the extent that the bead will pass inwardly through the neck 12 to be expanded outwardly into the groove 13. While the engagement of the coupling and the head are relatively snug, the fit is such as to permit the head and its asssociated neck 12 to frictionally rotate upon the coupling. This permits the coupling to be firmly engaged with the bottle neck 6 with the under surface of the flange 16 forming an effective seal with the neck of the bottle. The rotation of the head 7 with respect to the coupling is essential after the coupling has been engaged with the bottle in order to dispose the spout 11 in a desired position for pouring. The disc valve is formed relatively large in diameter with its edge rounded to preclude the possibility of it catching upon the walls of the chamber 9 or the spout opening and, as clearly shown in Figure 3, the chamber has a depth that will permit the valve to pass beyond the spout opening for a full flow of the bottle contents. To assure of a free ilow of the bottle contents, the upper wall of the head 7 is apertured at 22. The upstanding valve seat 17 with its sharp circumferential edge permits of a full seating engagement of the valve 18, but avoids any tendency for the valve to stick upon the seat when wet. With the device assembled and screwed in position upon the neck of the bottle, the operator merely turns the bottle at an abrupt angle when pouring, causing the valve to automatically fall away from the seat by gravity to fully clear the spout opening and, when the bottle is again shifted to the upright position, the valve falls to its seat by gravity to effectively seal the bottle contents against contamination. The coupling permits of the pouring device to be removed at will when filling the bottle and the assembly is easily and quickly disassembled for cleaning. The softer plastic of the coupling forms an adequate seal with the bottle neck without the use of a separate gasket.

It will be apparent from the foregoing, that a very simple and effective pouring device has been provided.

The several parts, being three in number, are easily and cheaply produced and have no parts that are likely to become worn or which would entail a relatively costly manufacture and assembly.

It is to be understood, that while a preferred form of theV device has been shown and described, changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A self-closing pouring bottle cap for use with bottles having a threaded neck portion, that comprises a head portion that is provided with a downwardly opening chamber and with the head portion being extended radially to form a pouring spout having a uid passage that is angled upward from the chamber, the uid passage communicating with the chamber, the head portion having a lower internally shouldered neck portion that is circumferentially grooved upon its inner wall, a cylindrical coupling member having an inwardly extending ange at its upper end and an outwardly extending flange at its lower end, the coupling member formed open throughout and communicating with the chamber, the marginal edge of the upper ange provided with an upstanding valve seat that is concentric to the chamber opening, the valve seat extending upwardly into the chamber, a disc valve disposed in the chamber and having a diameter substantially equal to the major diameter of the chamber, the valve being oatingly positioned in the chamber to fall by gravity toward and from the valve seat, the cylindrical coupling member provided with an external annular bead that has snapping engagement into the groove of the shouldered neck portion with the bead and groove connection permitting rotation of the head portion with respect to the coupling, the inner wall of the coupling member being threaded for engagement with the threads of the bottle, the chamber being vented to allow a free flow of uid to the spout.

2. The structure as recited in claim l, wherein the chamber is so proportioned as to allow the disc valve to fall by gravity to a position to dispose the valve entirely beyond the spout opening when the bottle is tilted to a pouring position.

3. The structure as recited in claim 1, wherein the upstanding valve seat is bevelled outwardly to form a sharp seat for the valve that disposes the valve slightly elevated above the upper ange when in seating position, the upper ange having abutting engagement with the shoulder of the neck portion when the bead and groove are in mating engagement, the under surface of the upper flange having a sealing contact with the neck of the bottle when the coupling is screwed thereon, the lower flange having a diameter greater than the outside diameter of the shouldered neck portion whereby the last named ange will project outwardly for engagement by the hand to rotate the coupling for engagement or disengagement with the threaded neck of the bottle.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 551,374 Gray Dec. 17, 1895 998,052 Treiber July 18, 1911 1,282,103 Moffat Oct. 22, 1918 2,099,292 Brown Nov. 16, 1937 2,501,636 Smith Mar. 21, 1950 2,545,350 Fuld Mar. 13, 1951 2,681,752 Jarrett et al June 22, 1954 

